Latest / Salon Success Secrets — The podcast for salon owners who are done hustling harder and ready to break their revenue ceiling. / Leadership Film Study #003: Are You Protecting the Rule... or the Relationship?

Transcript

Leadership Film Study #003: Are You Protecting the Rule... or the Relationship? · Salon Success Secrets — The podcast for salon owners who are done hustling harder and ready to break their revenue ceiling.

• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to another leadership film study.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: If you've been following this series, you know that we're not here to point fingers or critique people.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: We're here to study leadership the same way athletes study game film to ask what we can learn that helps us become better leaders.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: And today's episode is one that I am especially passionate about because it's something I see happen all the time in our industry.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: You know, businesses spend years building trust with a guest and then destroy that trust in a single conversation about a policy.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: The truth is, this episode isn't really about cancellation policies.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's about leadership, it's about hospitality, and it's about whether we are protecting relationships or simply protecting rules.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think one of the biggest misconceptions in leadership is that being kind means you don't have standards.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: I actually believe the opposite is true.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the very best leaders have incredibly high standards, but they deliver those standards with hospitality.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: You know, they don't make people choose between feeling respected and being held accountable.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: They do both.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, we get it.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: Every business needs policies.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: You know, policies create clarity and consistency, but policies were never meant to replace human connection.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: You see, in hospitality, and honestly, in leadership as a whole, we're playing the long game.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: There are not infinite guests, there are not infinite relationships.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: So every interaction is an opportunity to either strengthen trust or weaken it.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: And as you listen today, here's the question we want you to think about.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: When someone runs into one of your policies, do they leave feeling cared for or controlled?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Because most people won't remember the exact wording of your cancellation policy.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: They'll remember how you made them feel when life happened.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: You know, today we want to share a recent experience that we had, not because the policy itself was wrong, but because of how it was communicated.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, this video is great.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: So as you listen, we want you to ask yourself if I were on the receiving end of this interaction, would I leave feeling welcomed or warned?
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_02: Here we go.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: I understand.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um, the problem is that when you don't show up, because your appointment started 30 minutes ago.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, when you don't show up, my stylists lose out on.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_02: No, I told I understand.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, unfortunately, the only exceptions that we have are for an emergency.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, I understand that it's out of your control, but that doesn't constitute an emergency.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_02: So for us, so for us, when you don't show up, there is a cancellation fee because my stylist now is sitting with a block of three hours that she can't be making money.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, she she needs to feed her family as well.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_02: So I always explain to people like, imagine if you got called into work and you were there for three hours and they go, Oh, we actually can't pay you for those three hours.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_02: Is that okay?
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you wouldn't.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_02: No, I understand she's not doing the service today.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_02: No, I told okay.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh see, I'm trying to explain it to you, and you keep interrupting me.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: So if I could just have the floor for like a minute and then maybe I like we could come to an under.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_02: So unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to rebook you until you pay that cancel.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_02: No, I understand she didn't do the full service.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but she's still here and she's okay.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_02: Well, um, if you decide that you would like to pay off your balance and rebook, then you absolutely may do that.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_02: But until then, I hope you have a great day.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_02: Dude.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: No, I understand.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: That was our film study for the day.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: Jen, what stood out to you?
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, well, if you're not seeing the video, it was a salon owner.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: She must have been calling that guest.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: And so you could see her interactions.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: And we couldn't hear on the receiving end what the potential guest was saying, but I could like I put myself in the position of being a guest.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Like it just felt like a lot of force.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: And um, and maybe I was wrong as a guest.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe I did miss my appointment, but I think there's still a more tasteful way to handle that because then when you have two emotional people that are angry, no one's gonna win in that situation.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, I think there's a beautiful opportunity to think about a new way to approach that.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I agree.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: You know, another thing that stood out to me too, um, is that I always think, you know, to never invite the opportunity for someone to lie to you, you know, when your policy talks about emergencies only versus, you know, like I just think, hey, I don't want to start like an excuse auction.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: Like whoever has the best excuse for not showing up, you get out of it.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because like, who am I to decide what constitutes an emergency?
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like things happen all the time that are unexpected.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I think um, you know, of course, some things like are more catastrophic and you either can't get somewhere or your mind isn't in the right place to call and handle an appointment, you know, stuff like that happens.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: But, you know, sometimes people it it misses their schedule at the right time or whatever that happens, you know.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: So I just know like with our policy, we're like, hey, the first time, you know, we believe in second chances.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Just like if for some reason somebody's hair doesn't turn out the the perfect way on the first time, like we believe in second chances.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get a second chance to to do this right, you get a second chance to show up to your appointments.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think when we start to get into that, like we are the ones who get to decide what constitutes that or not.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Like, why don't you just say, like, hey, like everybody gets one get out of jail free card?
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, because it's usually like if it's somebody who's a repeat offender, if they do it again, like that's when I believe, like, yes, then you absolutely have to have policies to protect people because you know, I don't know about you, but I've had people on my team call in sick before.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, if you're listening, maybe you've called in sick before.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I know Jen, you've hardly ever called in sick before, less than five times on your hand in your whole career.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Same with me, you know, and I think, gosh, on those times, like I'm not the person who calls in sick all the time, you know.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not the person who last minute cancels or no shows all the time, but that is gonna happen.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: And if we want people to, you know, forgive us and to understand us when life happens, then we get the opportunity to do the same thing for our people that we serve, you know.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: That's a beautiful way to say it, Lindsay.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think as as salon owners that are listening to this, I mean, just an opportunity is to pull your, you know, cancellation policy and to look at it and think about, hey, are my policies protecting my business or my fear?
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: And it's easy as salon owners to listen to your team because they are consuming social media all day long.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: And probably 90% of what they see is from a booth renter that's saying, here's my cancellation policy.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: It's protect our time.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: We need boundaries.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: So of course they think that we need to stick this to clients.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: But truly, when you're creating a brand, you're creating that hospitable experience, like what does that truly look like?
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: And is that policy going to expand people or prevent people from wanting to come back?
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_01: You know, so ask yourself, hey, if someone read our cancellation policy today, would they feel welcomed or would they feel warmed?
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: And I think go ahead, Lindsay.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: I think you were gonna say something.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Oh no, we were probably headed down the same path because you know, we recently just had that an experience ourselves with a five-star hotel um where we were supposed to take a trip.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: And um Jin, Jin's beautiful grandmother Edna um lived a very full 82 years of life.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: 83, 83, 83 years of life.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that was who she bought the salon from, and um, you know, has been carrying on that legacy.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: She just passed this past week and um two days before we were supposed to head out to Newport to stay in a hotel.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: And um, you know, first of all, Edna was such a pioneer in our industry, and so I just want to, you know, give her a shout-out because I know that she has she put so many things into into play, Jen, that um not only have you amplified and carried on, but like you've taught to me and to so many of our viewers.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so I just think first of all, I just want to acknowledge Edna's a little baddie.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that there are so many unsung heroes in our industry, just like Edna, that you know, she is just a beautiful example of so many people who paved the way to really bring true beauty into the beauty industry.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: So um I just want to acknowledge her, you know, first and foremost, but also to say, you know, then when we called the hotel that we were supposed to stay at, um Jen, you were met with a lot of resistance and force.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I think the one thing that stood out to both of us is there's a huge difference between enforcing a policy and being forceful with a policy.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I think, you know, that was one of the things that kind of stood out to me on that.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like, it was like they were already angry at the guest.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: And it, and when you're met with that kind of force and that kind of energy, like I don't know the context behind why that that guest canceled on that call, but I do know the context behind why we had to, uh, we were just gonna postpone our trip, you know, two weeks we were able to get back in.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but the the energy that you were met with, like that damages relationships.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Like that breaks trust that sometimes you're never able to rebuild.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, it was we did we were past the deadline of our, I think it was 72 hours or something for the cancellation policy.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I understand it wasn't even about like, hey, I'm a responsible person.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: If I need to pay the cancellation policy, whatever it is what it is, we'll figure it out, right?
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: And but it was just the the energy that came with it.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I I shared my experience, what was going on in my life, and um, she's like, well, and it was just like like it, like I was an inconvenience to her almost.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: She's like, Well, we don't do that, but I guess I can ask my manager, I'll put you on a brief hold and I'll come back.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: And so she'd put me on hold and I was on hold for a while.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: So just sitting there on hold, right?
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_01: And it's an emotional time.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like my grandmother was a special person.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm like, okay, we're trying to get things done.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: Let's let's get this, let's get moving.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: She'd come back on and she'd be like, Yeah, um, well, we don't normally do this, but if we do this, you're gonna have to make sure that it's the same amount or more if we change your reservation.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_01: Well, when we were gonna want to be able to go back, it was gonna be one less day more or one uh day less.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: And so that wasn't gonna be possible.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you know, it was just like everything was like, I mean, I should have count how many, like how many inconveniences it was for her.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: And finally, you know, when you're kind of in that emotional state, you said, I said, you know what?
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: I'll just pay the cancellation policy and uh move forward and hung up.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: And we called back and spoke to, or Lindsay called back and spoke to someone else later and kind of got it handled.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: But like in that moment when you're already carrying something heavy in your life, and then you have people that pour into that from a standpoint of like, you're still like, well, that's not my fault you're canceling, it's our policy.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I'm here to do.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, wow, this is a five-star hotel.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_01: Cause I asked, I was like, this is a five-star hotel.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: You guys are in the hospitality business.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so, like, this isn't even about the cancellation policy anymore, it's about the way we treat people.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, and I think that that's what it comes down to is it isn't about the policy, it's about the way that we treat people.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, to me, it's really sad when people leave with policies, you know, over relationships, because I believe that relationships are the most important part.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, you do not want anybody to abuse you.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: We are not saying that we get that people have bills to pay, they have lives, but like that's also why our pricing calculator, like, we tell you, hey, here's some industry standards around cancellations, around no-shows.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: Like, this is gonna protect your people so that they don't feel a huge loss when they do get that one cancellation out of a hundred.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: That's gonna happen.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: We we plan for it, we expect it, you know, and so that we know that going in so that we can protect that relationship.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like, hey, it's okay, stuff happens, you know, we understand.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: And more importantly, when it is a big life event like that, we can be like, hey, I'm so sorry, you know, like thank you for sharing that with me.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure this is, you know, not how you had anticipated to spend your weekend, you know, because like even thinking from a hotel standpoint, they'd rather be there.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: And also if you're creating such a magical experience, they would much rather be there with you as well.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I just recently saw somebody um on our on a local, you know, Facebook group that she, as an advertisement, just posted her cancellation policy.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: And then I saw another like spa owner in our area, and somebody else commented, like, yeah, tell them that, you know, and they were just going off.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I thought, you had so many like this is what you chose to advertise on here.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: This was the most important thing.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: And what's so sad is there was probably one guest that they need to have a conversation with that maybe is taking advantage of their time, and they can just be like, hey, you know, Susie, I love you.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but when we look at your history, this is, you know, the second time it's happened to protect both of our time moving forward.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just gonna have you prepay for your appointment time.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're busy, but I want to be able to serve you to the highest good, and I I want to respect both of our times.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: And so this is how we're able to do that, you know, and I think that there is definitely a time and a place for that.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: But when you lead with that, man, that's really heartbreaking, actually.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: That's so true.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_01: Because if you're creating an experience that people want to return to, you don't have to lead with those policies.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they're just put there in place, as Lindsay was saying, for people who truly are those constant no-shows or flight risk.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know, um, I I think what struck us wasn't the policy.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't the posture.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: You know, they were simply enforcing a policy, they were leading with the policy instead of leading with the relationship.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's where so many businesses unintentionally get it backwards.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: You know, policies should support relationships.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: Relationships should never become secondary to policies, because at the end of the day, we're not in the policy business.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: We're in the people business.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: You know, whether you own a salon or lead a team or, you know, coach clients or run a hotel, your systems exist to serve people, not the other way around.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what we want you to unpack today.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, I think one of the biggest takeaways for me is that this really isn't about cancellation policies, as I said before.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's about how we make decisions when our values and our policies seem to collide.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's what true hospitality is.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, policy policies should create consistency.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: Hospitality should determine how we deliver them.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we talk a lot about, you know, building businesses that last for decades, not just businesses that win today.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know, if you're playing the long game, every interaction matters.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: Every conversation is either making a deposit into the relationship or making a withdrawal.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, sometimes extending a little grace, it can cost you an appointment today, but it earns you a client who stays with you for the next 10 years.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and that's a trade that I'll make every single time.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: So this week we'd love for you to pick one policy in your business and just read it through the eyes of a first-time guest.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: You know, does it sound like hospitality or does it sound like a warning?
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, then ask yourself one more question.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: If someone had to hear no from us, how could we still make them feel cared for?
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_00: Because great leaders know that people can accept disappointment if they still feel respected.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, and thanks again for joining us for another leadership film study.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we hope these conversations help you look at leadership just a little differently, not just through the lens of systems and policies, but through the lens of people.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, remember every uh interaction isn't just shaping your reputation, or it is shaping your reputation, not just as a slow learner, but also as a leader.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: So build systems that support your business, build relationships that outlast those systems, because at the end of the day, people won't remember every policy you had.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: They'll remember how you made them feel when life happened.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see you next week for another leadership film study.